Toy vehicle



Feb. A9, 1937.

L. CARL. 2,070,465

TOY VEHICLE Filed July 2, 193e 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L. CARL TOY VEHICLE Feb. 9, 1937.

Filed July 2, 1936,

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 intimated Fei.A 9, 1937 Vmirri-:D STATES PATENT OFFICE TOY VEHICLE Ludwig Carl, Nuremberg, Germany, assignor to Ernst Horn, Nuremberg, Germany Application July 2, 1936, Serial No. 88,681 i Germany January 10, 1936 9 claims. (c1. i6-213) the toy vehicle is equipped with an adjustable control device permitting a positive control of the entire path of motion of the toy prior to commencing its travel.

The travel of my new toy vehicle, thus will no more take place more or` less incidentally, but in a manner which may exactly be xed and predetermined by the adjustment of said controldevice. Moreover, the novel control device provided on the toy vehicle can, for instance, br constructed to avoid obstacles that may arbitrarily be placed into the normal path of motion of the vehicle and to cause the latter to travel around such obstacles, or to follow any desired curved path in dependence from the previous adjustment of said device.

The novel control device, more especially, may be adjusted also in such a manner that the toy vehicle will return to its initial position after it has travelled through a denite path` of motion of any desired curvature.

According to my invention, furthermore, the guiding or controlling of the travelling motion of the toy in the aforementioned manner may be effected by means of said control device either in a mechanical way by the aid of an actuating mechanism or the like, or in an electrical way by means of electrical circuits established by properly controlled contacts. In the one as well as in the other case, the toy vehicle will be guided `fully automatically in a novel and surprising way to follow a path of motion of am7 desired configuration, thus simulating a vehicle guided and controlled by invisible means at a distance.

A person playing with the novel toy vehicle may exactly and positively pre-determine the path of motion of the vehicle in such a manner that, for instance, the toy will follow a path of motion around several obstacles and arrive at a denite point which will particularly enhance the interest and enjoyment of playing with the toy. Besides, the adjustment of said control device that predetermines the path of motion of the vehicle, will permit the latter to travel also on a relatively small running surface Without causing premature interruption in the travelling motion, for instance hitting against an obstacle, or any undesired deflection from the pre-determined path of motion. The novel control and adjusting device may be used in connection with toy vehicles of all kinds and presents especial advantages and eiects in connection with sc-called battle toy vehicles, for

instance, in the form of tanks or the like, the motion pre-determined by said device being in no way disturbed, when using caterpillar bands as driving members, such as is usual with toys of the last-mentioned kind,

In the accompanying drawings which form part of this specication I have represented two forms of construction of my novel toy, either construction comprising a control and adjusting device determining the path of motion of the toy, it being assumed in either case that the toy vehicle is of the form of a tank.

The rst form of construction of the toy is shown in Fig. 1 in a side-view with thebody of the toy in longitudinal section, while Fig. 2 is a top-view taken on Fig. 1, in which the toy casing is represented as being cut-away to present the interior driving mechanism of the toy and the novel controlling and adjusting device therefor.`

Fig. 3 is a partial side-view showing the rear part of the toy together with a disk forming part of said controlling and adjusting device, Figs. 4 and 5 show a driving wheel for the toy in a side- View and cross-section, respectively, Figs. 6, '7, and 8 are side-views of said driving wheel in several operating positions, Fig. 9 is a side and front-view, the latter partly in section, of said disk forming part of said controlling and adjusting device, while Fig. 10 is likewise a sideview and front-view, partly in section, of a modied construction of said disk. The second form of construction of my new toy is shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the former iigure'being a top-view of the toy similar to Fig. 2, with the toy casing cut- I away and the latter gure being a partial side- In either form of construction the toy ve- .the forni of a double-armed lever pivoted, as

shown at 9', to either driving wheel 6 loosely carried on said axle 5. The latter further carries 'the brake and coupling disks 8. Either of 'said disks lis positioned intermediate one of the driving wheels 6 and one of the brake and coupling disks 8. Positive rotation is imparted to said driving wheels 6 and said disks 8 from said disks 1 by the intermediary of said pawls 9, the lateral guide-pin 9 thereon engaging with a radial slot in the brake or coupling disk 8 as shown in Fig. 5. Eitherpawl 9 is under action of a spring 23 xed at one end thereof to said pawl, said springs forcing the front bent end of the pawls 9 into said detent notch on either catch disk 1, the other end of either spring 23 being xed to said driving Wheel 6, as shown in Figs. 4, 6, 7, and 8.

A brake member l serves to brake either disk 8, said member I0 being actuated bya rod Il, a

resilient portion or spring I2 being preferably inserted into said rodY to permit an elongation or `corresponding to the entire path of 4motion through which the toy will travel during a full run of thedriving work. The control disk I5 is positively driven by means of sprocket-wheels I6 and I8 interconnected by a chain I'I from the spring-operated driving work 4 at a reduced velocity, the rotation of said disk I5 being always in proportion to the path of motion along which the vehicle is travelling at a time, that is to say, if the toy has travelled, for instance, through a distance of one meter, the control disk I5 will have been rotated from the numeral zero' to the numeral one of said graduation.

Travel of the toy is effected by means of a pair of caterpillar bands 2l laid around upper and under idle guide-Wheels I9, 20 and the driving wheels 6, 6, motion being imparted to said caterpillar bands by said driving wheels.

In order to prevent the turning and steering motion imparted to the toy against being disturbed by an excessive contact of said caterpillar bands .with the running surface,v the .toy is equipped with a rear steering or guide-wheel 22 acting simultaneously as a rear support for the toy, so that said caterpillar bands will be in contact with the running surface only at the place of said under idle guide-wheels I9.

Instead of the bores or sockets I5 which serve for the reception of the pins I4, the control disk I5 may also be provided on either side with a circular groove or slot 24 as shown in Fig. l10, said groove orslot serving for the reception of threaded pins I4', which may be inserted through an enlargement of said groove or slot and kept xed in the latter at any desired point of the graduation on the periphery of the disk I5. The

.mode of operation 0,1' this mechanical control device so far described is as follows:

Prior to placing the toy vehicle onto a running surface for travel thereon, the pins I4 are marks of the graduation which indicate the respective distance at which the toy is to be given a turning motion towards the left or right. If, 'f instance, the pin I4 on the left-hand side of the disk I5 comes first into action, said pin-.will actuate the double-armed lever or pawl I3 by imparting rocking motion thereto, thus exerting a pull onto the rod II causing the brake member I8 to be pressed against the periphery of the brake and' coupling disk 8. The disk 8 will now be kept at standstill, the shaft 5 and the disk 'l at iirst still continuing to rotate the driving Wheel 6 somewhat further. In this case the pawl 9 on the vdriving disk 8 will be carried with the latter, the guide pin 9"v in the radial slot of the disk 8 now sliding in inwarddirection rockingsaid pawl and disengaging it from the notch on the disk I, J thus uncoupling the latter from the driving wheel 6 and interrupting the drive .for the latter. i

Fig. '4 shows the coupling in condition still driving, while Fig. 6 shows the coupling at the moment in which braking and uncoupling takes place, and Fig. 'i` the intermediary position of said coupling leading to the uncoupled position indicated in Fig. 8. The pawl 9,"after being disengaged from the notch on the disk 'I upon releasing of the brake I byaction of the equalizing tension of the spring 23, will slide on the smooth periphery of said disk 1, so that the latter will rotate idle. The driving wheels 6 and the coupling disks 8 are now disconnected` from the driving work 4 and will not be positively rotated, before the disk 'I has completed a full revolution and the pawl has come again in engagement with the notch on said disk. The drive for the lefthand caterpillar band 2I is now interrupted for a proper time, and as the right-hand caterpillar band 2 I` continues to rotate, a turning motion will be imparted to the toy round the guide-wheel I9 in left-hand direction and at an angle of 90 to the former direction. After completed turning motion of the toy the coupling for the lefthand driving wheel 6 is again established, with the result that the toy continues to move in a new direction. If now the pin I4 on the righthand side of the control disk comes into action, the play will be repeated also on this side of the drive and the toy will be given a turning motion in right-hand direction through an angle of 90. In accordance with the pins at a time inserted into the control disk a turning motion will be given to the toy towards the left or towards the right away from its straight direction of travel to thereupon -move again in straight direction. In every case, the person playing with the toy will be able to previously positively determine and fix at will the path of motion 'along which the toy is to travel.

In' the example: of the toy shown in Fig. 11, the general construction and mode of operation is in agreement with Fig. 1,y there being a difference only therein .that in the former case the forward travelling, as Well as the lateral turning motion of the toy is controlled by mechanical means, while `in the latter case both of said motions are controlled electrically. According to Figs. 11 and 12, the control disk I5 is equipped with a set of contacts 26 arranged counter-sunk in a groove 26 extendingaround the periphery of the disk. This set of contacts 26 may, for instance, be of the form of a helical spring bandage engaging with bores I on the disk I5, thereby coming'in contact with the contact pin I4 inserted thereinto to control the path of motion of the toy. During rotation of the disk I5 two lateral contact springs 28 shown in Fig. 11 come with the toy-body. The springs 28 and 21 are mounted on the base-plate I, a plate 32 of insulating material being inserted therebetween.

According to Fig. 11 furthermore, there are provided at the front part of the toy two magnet coils 29, the cores thereof acting against the coupling disks 8. 'I'he magnet coils 29 are connectedon the one hand by means of the leads 75 i 30 and 3l to the contacts 28 and on the other said vehicle, a control device associated with said hand to the toyfbody, so that there will be established on either operating side of the disk I an electrical circuit which is closed by way of the contact pins I4" and the contact springs 28. In this case, one of the magnet-coils 29 will be energized to stop the coupling disk 8 for initiating the process of uncoupling as Vhad above been described in connection with the mechanical control, said process of uncoupling now causing a Earning motion `of the toy through an angle of While I have described herein and shown in the accompanying drawings two modes of construction of my new toy, I desire of being understood that many changes may be made in the general construction of the toy as well as in the steering and controlling devices thereforfwithout departing from Athe principle of my invention or sacrificing any of its advantages. For instance, the toy may also be controlled and steered from the control mechanism' partly in a mechanical and partly in an electrical way without departing from the general principles of my invention.

I claim:

l. A toy vehicle comprising a driving. mechanism for normally imparting forward motion to driving mechanism to convert said forward motion into a turning motion, an adjusting means for said control device, means by which the control device may be operated when predetermined distances have been traveled by the vehicle, and means for determining the'location of the said adjusting means to cause the aforesaid operations accordingto the distance traveled-by the vehicle. 1

2. A toy vehicle comprising driving mechanism for normally imparting forward motion to said vehicle, a control device associated with said driving mechanism to convert said forward motion into a turning motion, adjusting means for said control device, said adjusting means adapted to bring about said turning motion in a predetermined manner and in which said control device comprises a control disk with a graduation thereon, said adjusting means comprising pins adapted to be exchangeably inserted into bores of said control disk, in accordance with said graduation.

3. A toy vehicle as specied by claim 2, in which said driving mechanism includes a pair of driving wheels, said control disk and said pins adapted to control a coupling device for tempo-f rarily uncoupling one of said driving wheels from said driving mechanism to maintain onel of said driving wheels in action for bringing about said turning motion around the other of said driving wheels.

4. A toy vehicle as specified by `claim 2, in which said driving mechanismincludes a pair of driving "wheels, said Acontrol disk and said pins adapted. to control a coupling device for temporarily uncoupling one of said driving wheels from said driving mechanism to maintain one of said driving wheels in, action for bringing about said turning motion around theother of said driving wheels, said control device including a control rod to control a coupling between said driving wheels and said driving mechanism. said rod including a resilient member inserted thereinto.

5. A. toy vehicle as specied by claim'2, said 6. A toy vehicle as specied by claim 2, having the form of a tank and including caterpillar bands associated with said driving mechanism, guide-wheels for said caterpillar bands, and a rear guide-wheel for supporting said' vehicle'in a manner `to lift the rear part thereof from its running surface and to cause said `daterpiilar bands to 4be 4in contact with the running surface essentially .only at that place on which it is carried round a guide-wheel.

7. A toy vehicle as specified by claim 2, said driving means including a pair of driving Wheels, said control device including a control disk with a graduation thereon and pins adapted to be inserted exchangeably into said disk at places marked by said graduation, said disk being associated with electrical contact means adapted to control said driving wheels to couple and uncouple one of saidrwheels to and Yfrom said driving mechanism for imparting a turning motion around the other wheel to said vehicle at a point of its travel pre-determined, by the position of said pins or pin on said control 4disk and indicated by said graduation.

8. A toy vehicle as specied by claim 2, said driving means including a pair of driving wheels,l said control device including a control disk with a graduation thereon and pins adapted to be inserted exchangeably into said disk at places marked by said graduation, said disk being associated with electrical contact means adapted to control said driving wheels' to couple and uncouple one of said wheels to and from said driving mechanism for imparting a turning motion around the other wheel to said vehicle at a point of itsv travel pre-determined by the position of said pins or pin on said control disk. and indicated by said graduation, said electrical contact means including contact springs in circuit with said control disk, magnet-coils adapted .to be v energized in dependence from the position of said pins or pin on said disk, an iron core in either 4oi said magnet-coils, said iron cores co-operating with coupling disks interposed between said lwheels loose on said axle. said vehicle including further a coupling mechanism interposed between said driving axle and each ofsaid driving wheels, said coupling mechanism being controlled by said 'control device to couple or uncouple one or the other of said driving wheels to and from said driving axle independence from said` adjusting means to bring about said turning motion around thedriving wheel at a time uncoupled from said axle.

. LUDWIG CARL. 

